Unlike some others who have commented on Steal This Movie on IMDb, I don't know that much about Abbie Hoffman, aside from the obvious that he was a fervent protester in the late 60's, and enough of a symbol of the anti-war and anti-Government movement to get a bit part in Forrest Gump (he's the "war in Viet-****ing-Nam" guy). So as part entertainment and part information this film does its job adequately, even as I recognized the film's flaws. It's not without its plus side- if you're a fan of Vincent D'Onofrio (and to me he has an impressive career as a character actor from Full Metal Jacket to The Cell), this is one of the better treats of his career as he lets his hair down (literally) and portrays a man on a downward spiral. What's interesting about the story of Hoffman is how he keeps on with the same spirit even as he's forced into hiding in the 70's. D'Onofrio plays the chaotic, but focused, counterculture icon with enough energy and conviction to make up for the fact that it IS a movie-version of the character. As well as this, actors like Janeane Garofalo and Donal Logue are really playing versions of these people that are convincing up to a point. But the problems in the film are more to do with the direction by Robert Greenwald; he's not as imaginative in treating the material as he thinks he MIGHT be, even as he uses numerous visuals and cutaways in some montage scenes, and adds a typical soundtrack to the proceedings. The script doesn't feel too false in later scenes showing Hoffman's mental breakdown, but it isn't as convincing as I imagine the book(s) on and by Hoffman must be. It's a very intriguing subject (and I'm already a fan of the period) that's given an adequate cinematic treatment. What's disappointing though for those who come across it will not be what's there but what isn't; this is the kind of story and character that needs an Oliver Stone kind of treatment (this is close to it, more like a knock-off). B-